Illuminated sprinkler



Sept. 24, 1963 s. 1.. SCHULTZ ILLUMINATED SPRINKLER Filed Nov. 1, 1962INVENTOR S LAS L. SCH ULTZ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,104,815HLLUMINATED SPRINKLER Silas L. Schultz, 3854 S. Massachusetts Ave,Milwaukee, Wis. Filed Nov. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 234,648 3 Claims. (Cl.23919) My invention relates to sprinklers for lawns or the like, andmore particularly to lawn sprinklers that are illuminated.

It is manifest to anyone familiar with lawn sprinklers, that the patternof the spray produced varies constantly, depending on the waterpressure, atmospheric conditions and the wind velocity. These patternsare attractive and fascinating to observe. By applying colored lightbeams, these spray patterns are made even more attractive after dark.

The prime object of my invention is to provide .an integral lawnsprinkler and motor actuated illuminating unit to direct various coloredlight rays on the spray pattern ejected from the unit.

The device illustrated, described and claimed herein has a revolvingdisc equipped with a plurality of varied colored lenses. When the discis revolved, it has a tendency to constantly change the color of thespray pattern, while tending to create the illusion of a revolving spraypattern of various colors, to enhance the attractiveness of the spraypattern and hold the attention of the observer.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed that has the driving means and the illuminating means totallyenclosed for protection from the spray.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a device that isself-contained and portable, and may be placed at any predeterminedlocation on the surface of the lawn being serviced.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device that isequipped with a single or plurality of adjustable spray nozzles for theperformance of its function.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent asthe description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the entire assembled device,illustrating the method of mounting the adjustable sprinkler headsaround the outer surface of the enclosure; and

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross sectional view of the device illustratingthe arrangement of the component parts constituting the assembly.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views, and referring now to the same, the character shows ahousing or enclosure open at the top and having a closed bottom 11 ofdownwardly convex shape. The housing or enclosure 10 is mounted on anyconventional type of base, shown as a tripod 12 in the illustrations.The enclosure 10 may be constructed of any type of material such asmetal or plastic, and is shown flared outward at its upper open end toform a ledge 13, which provides a circular seat for the outer peripheraledge of a transparent lens 14, which may have a fiat or convex uppersurface. The shape and contour of the enclosure 10 may vary and the lens14 may be shaped accordingly for its accommodation. Lens 14 is fittedtightly against the seat 13 so as to seal the interior of the housingfrom the water spray. It may be press fitted on the seat.

A plurality of conventional type sprinkler nozzles 15, which areequipped with adjustable heads 16 to control the volume of water beingdispensed, are spaced circumferentially around the unit. These nozzlesare supported by outwardly extending angular brackets or flanges 17 onthe upper part of the enclosure. The water supply conduit 3,104,815Patented Sept. 24, 1963 18 is led to the nozzles 15 by encircling theouter surface of the enclosure 10. The nozzles thus support the conduits18. If desired, the supply line 18 may be disposed within the enclosure10 and lead outward through the wall thereof to the sprinkler heads.

A fiat platform or partition 19 is shown disposed near the bottom of theenclosure 10 and supported on the inner surface thereof at 20. Thisplatform 19 supports an electric motor 21, which may be equipped with aspeed reducing means (not shown), and an output shaft 22 extendingupward therefrom. This shaft 22 supports a disc '23, which is attachedto the shaft 22 as by a simple press fit at 24. The disc 23 has aplurality of angularly spaced lenses 25 inserted therein. The lenses 25may vary in color. Below the disc 23 but above partition 19, a pluralityof lamps 26 are supported on the inner surface of the enclosure 10 bymeans of attaching brackets 27.

The lamps 26 may be equipped with reflectors (not shown) so as toproject the rays of light from these lamps 26 upward through the coloredlenses 25 and through the top lens 14 to reflect against the sprays ofwater leading from the sprinkler heads 15, thereby illuminating thespray in various colors, changing as the disc 23 revolves.

The current supply leads 28 lead through the wall of I the enclosure 10at 29 and are shown as 30 leading to the one lamp 26, as 31 leading tothe other lamp 26, and as 32 leading to the motor 21. The lamps 26 andthe motor 21 are totally enclosed in the enclosure 10 and protected fromthe sprays.

The unit may be assembled easily by fixing motor 21 to the partition 19,inserting lamps 26 in position, then press fitting disc 23 on shaft 22and fitting lens 14 in the close sealing relation to the housing. Eitherbefore or after such assembly, nozzles 15 may be fixed to the brackets17. When it is desired to replace the light sources 26, lens 14 and disc23 may be removed so as to allow convenient removal of the lamps 26.

As formed, the entire unit may be placed at any desired location, awater spray line attached to the conduit 18 and the electrical supplyline 28 plugged into any convenient source. When the nozzles 15 aresupplied with water under pressure, they direct a spray patternupwardly, outwardly and in circularly spaced relation to the axis of theunit. The revolving disc 23 then directs light of various colors aroundthe axis of the unit and as the disc is revolved this circularly spacedand variously colored pattern of light will revolve around andilluminate the spray pattern dispersed from the nozzles. This tends toproduce the illusion of a revolving and constantly changing spraypattern.

Whereas I have shown and described an operative form of the invention,it should be understood that this showing and description thereof shouldbe taken in an illustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There are manymodifications in and to the invention which will fall within the scopeand spirit thereof and which will be apparent to those skilled in theart. The scope of the invention should be limited only by the scope ofthe hereinafter appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lawn sprinkling assembly including a supporting housing, saidhousing having a closed lower end and an opening in the upper portionthereof, a transparent lens positioned across said opening and insealing relation to the interior of said housing, said lens beingpositioned coaxially with a vertical axis passed through said housing,nozzle means supported on said housing for directing a dispersed waterspray pattern upwardly and outwardly with respect to said housing andsaid axis, conduit means for supplying water under pressure to saidnozzle means, a disc mounted for rotation about said vertical axiswithin said housing, said disc having a plurality of lenses variedlighting efiects on the spray pattern emitted by said 1 nozzle means.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said housing includes outwardlyextending brackets at the upper portion thereof and spaced about theaxis of said housing, and said nozzle means includes a plurality ofnozzles supported in said brackets, said conduit means being supportedfrom said nozzles.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said housing includes an interior,generally horizontal partition, and said motor is supported on saidpartition, said light sources being supported on brackets fixed to theinterior wall of said housing and positioned between said partition andsaid disc.

References (lit-ed in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS949,267 Dunlap Feb. 15, 1910 1,965,323 Tasli-tt July 3, 1934 2,888,205Trucco May 26, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 109,825 Austria June 11, 1928 29,099Great Britain June 12, 1912

1. A LAWN SPRINKLING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A SUPPORTING HOUSING, SAIDHOUSING HAVING A CLOSED LOWER END AND AN OPENING IN THE UPPER PORTIONTHEREOF, A TRANSPARENT LENS POSITIONED ACROSS SAID OPENING AND INSEALING RELATION TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING, SAID LENS BEINGPOSITIONED COAXIALLY WITH A VERTICAL AXIS PASSED THROUGH SAID HOUSING,NOZZLE MEANS SUPPORTED ON SAID HOUSING FOR DIRECTING A DISPERSED WATERSPRAY PATTERN UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOUSING ANDSAID AXIS, CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING WATER UNDER PRESSURE TO SAIDNOZZLE MEANS, A DISC MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT SAID VERTICAL AXISWITHIN SAID HOUSING, SAID DISC HAVING A PLURALITY OF LENSES OF DIFFERENTCOLORS THEREON AND ANGULARLY SPACED WITH RESPECT TO SAID AXIS, SAID DISCBEING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY